An Ontario judge acquitted five former members of Canada's world junior hockey team on Thursday in their sexual assault case, saying the complainant's allegations lacked the credibility needed to justify the charges, the AP reports. Superior Court Justice Maria Carroccia said prosecutors could not meet the onus of proof for the charges against Michael McLeod, Carter Hart, Alex Formenton, Dillon Dube, and Callan Foote. All five players had pleaded not guilty to sexual assault in an encounter that took place in a London, Ontario, hotel room in the early hours of June 19, 2018.
Years of speculation regarding the allegations—fueled by a lawsuit settlement, parliamentary hearings and revived investigations by the police and Hockey Canada, along with an NHL investigation—all preceded a complex trial earlier this year that included a mistrial and the dismissal of the jury, leaving the verdict to Carroccia. Carroccia explained her reasoning for the acquittals in detail over the course of five hours, highlighting the complainant's "tendency to blame others" for inconsistencies in her allegations. She also said the woman went to "great lengths" to point out that she was really drunk through the course of the night, but that is not supported by surveillance video from a bar and hotel that night and the testimony of others.
McLeod was also acquitted—and pleaded not guilty—on a separate count of being a party to the offense, an unusual application of a charge that is more typically seen in murder cases. The players, who are now between the ages of 25 and 27, were in London at the time for a gala and golf tournament marking their championship victory. Protesters gathered outside a packed London courthouse on Thursday morning, holding signs that signaled support for the complainant, whose identity was not disclosed throughout the trial under Canadian law.
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